Router Protocol said it will shut down after operating for more than four years, with all services set to terminate by September 30. The project said the decision was driven by worsening business conditions in Web3, including tighter liquidity and high operating costs.

As part of the wind-down, the foundation plans to permanently burn 303,333,198 ROUTE tokens and work with centralized exchanges to remove ROUTE trading pairs. Token holders were urged to monitor each exchange’s trading halt and withdrawal timetable and move assets before the relevant deadlines.

Shutdown plan and timeline

The project said it will halt operations and fully terminate services by September 30. The announcement marks the end of Router Protocol’s run after more than four years in operation.

Alongside the shutdown, ROUTE pairs are set to be delisted in coordination with centralized exchanges. Router Protocol said further details on delisting procedures for specific platforms would be shared later through its official channels.

Why Router Protocol says it cannot continue

Router Protocol attributed the closure to a combination of pressures across the market and within its own business. It pointed to shrinking liquidity in Web3, a shift in venture capital interest toward artificial intelligence, lower cross-chain fees, and development and operating expenses that remained high.

The project also said demand had become concentrated on a small number of major blockchains, making it harder for its model to remain sustainable over the long term. In its view, those conditions left no workable path to continue operations.

Token burn and exchange actions

The foundation said 303,333,198 ROUTE tokens under its control will be permanently burned as part of the closure process. It has not yet released the full burn schedule, but said more information would be provided through official updates.

For market participants, the more immediate operational step is the planned removal of ROUTE trading pairs from centralized exchanges. Holders were told to review platform-specific notices for the timing of trading suspensions and withdrawals and to move their assets before the stated deadlines.

Previous strategy shift failed to produce revenue model

The shutdown follows an earlier restructuring effort. Last year, Router Protocol ended Router Chain operations and redirected its focus to Open Graph Architecture, or OGA, in an effort to cut maintenance costs and reduce security burdens.

According to the project, that pivot still did not produce a long-term revenue model or a viable route to sustained profitability. The company said additional information on the token burn process and exchange delistings will be the next confirmed updates released before the September 30 termination date.

Source: en.bloomingbit.io